1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information terminal device for use in an electronic mail transmitting/receiving system comprising a server and information terminal devices which are connected to one another through a network, and more particularly to an information terminal device with a display which has a documentation function and an electronic mail function and also is equipped with a calendar having a scheduler function of automatically transmitting a mail on a date specified by a mail creator.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recent information terminals having an information transmission/reception function have been remarkably developed, and users thereof are not limited to a class of skilled persons who are skilled in operating personal computers or the like, but have extended to a class of so-called beginners. In addition, various functions have been recently required to be installed in an information terminal, and thus in order to master various functions, even skilled persons have been required to be skilled to some extent. Therefore, there have been developed various terminal devices which can be easily used by not only skilled persons skilled in operating information equipment such as personal computers, etc., but also persons who have been unskilled in these information equipments until now.
For example, even in terminal devices for transmitting/receiving an electronic mail has been developed a device which can transmit/receive a mail with a simple operation and also has various functions.
When an electronic mail is required to be immediately transmitted from a terminal device for transmitting/receiving an electronic mail, the electronic mail can be transmitted by a relatively simple operation. However, when a transmission date (the date and hour) for an electronic mail is required to be designated, a complicated operation which can be performed by only a middle or upper class of skilled persons which are skilled in handling electronic mails is needed. For example, a method of actuating a built-in timer of a personal computer or the like for a connection timing to a mail server or a mail transmission timing, or a method of starting another special soft, etc. are used to implement the designation of the transmission date. These methods are very difficult for beginners who are unskilled in operating personal computers or the like, and also even skilled operators need much time to use these methods. Further, a special operation is needed at a reception side.
Further, some of connection providers supply a mail transmission date designating service to users. However, a special service fee is separately charged to a user when the user uses this service.
According to the present invention, there is provided an information terminal device for use in an electronic mail transmission/reception system comprising a server and electronic mail terminal devices which are connected to each other through a network, characterized by comprising: display means for displaying a transmission date (date and hour) of an electronic mail with a calendar and a time table; designating means for designating the date with the calendar and the time table; storage means for storing the date thus designated; time counting means for counting the time until the designated date; and transmission means for transmitting the electronic mail to the server when the designated date comes, and also there is provided a transmission method which transmits an electronic mail by using the information terminal device.
According to the present invention, even a user who is unaccustomed to the operation of personal computers can designate an electronic mail transmission date intuitively and easily without handling a keyboard by using the calendar, the time table and a touch pen, and also can easily grasp a transmission schedule and a transmission result. Accordingly, a sequential mailing work from creation and transmission of an electronic mail until check of a transmission result can be performed by only an intuitive operation such as a touch-pen work. Therefore, even beginners can perform the sequential mailing work without relying on a manual, and skilled persons can perform the mailing work with a simple operation.
Further, the information terminal device of the present invention is interlocked with a scheduler function thereof. Therefore, in addition of the transmission/reception of mails, various schedules and events can be registered by displaying a calendar screen, and thus a user can check the transmission operation, transmission schedule and transmission results of mails while checking the schedules and events at the same time. Neither special setting nor special operation is needed at a reception side if the reception side is equipped with a mail software.